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Architecture and Conservation

09/04/2026

This Thursday we are throwing back to the end 2022 when we gained planning permission and listed building consent for the conversion of a barn in Farmborough into a family home.

Working with heritage and ecological constraints, permission was granted for a conversion to a 4 bedroom house, with a stone and glass extension to house a modern kitchen space.

The internal walls are to be insulated with hemp-lime, to allow the existing structure to breathe and maintain their historic uneven character.

Although our client ultimately sold the site, we were happy to hear the project was bought by a fellow Passivhaus Designer who hopes to build out the scheme to high standards of sustainability.

https://www.thennowwhen.co.uk/projects/barnconversion

02/04/2026

This Thursday we are looking back on a masterplan project we undertook for a community project in Bristol a few years ago. We helped to create a vision document that outlined multiple phases and combinations of developments to the existing site, this was to help the trust priorities and provided information to allow them to start making grant applications as they became available. These two photo montages look at the new entrance to the site as well as the mixture of potential permanent and temporary structures during regular markets held on site.

26/03/2026

Happy Birthday to us! Then Now When is officially 5 today, and to celebrate here is an image of a project from each of the years we have been working together.

What started as a side project has grown into an architecture practice with both of us working full time. It has been quite a rollercoaster and we would like to thank our families, friends and clients for supporting us to build our practice.

We are already looking forward to the next 5 years and continuing to work with our brilliant current and future clients to make their houses into their dream homes and ensuring buildings of all ages are as sustainable as they can be.

17/03/2026

We regularly consult Historic England documents during our work on heritage assets, for example their document Conservation Principles Policies And Guidance For The Sustainable Management Of The Historic Environment. Within this document they define conservation as:

“The process of managing change to a significant place in its setting in ways that will best sustain its heritage values, while recognising opportunities to reveal or reinforce those values for present and future generations.”

The idea that conservation is about "managing change" is an often overlooked principle, too often it is thought that historic buildings cannot be adapted and instead should be preserved. When actually it is in a buildings interest to adapt and evolve to the needs of its users and modern life to ensure that it is kept in use. However this needs to be done with a thorough understanding of the buildings history so we can identify what opportunities exist and where care needs to be taken.

If you are planning works to a listed building or even simply within a conservation area, get in touch and we would be happy to help guide you through the process.

27/02/2026

We are currently acting as Heritage Consultants for the conversion of the old NatWest Bank on Bedminister Parade into a restaurant. It's great to see grand old building being put into a new use so the public can enjoy their architecture again.

The bank was designed by Sir Frank W. Wills. Wills was a prolific architect locally: just on Bedminster Parade, he has had the To***co Factory, The Bedminster Hotel (1873), The Bedminster Library (1914), and as well as the old NatWest (previously the National Provincial Bank) attributed to him.

During the research for of the heritage of this building we had the opportunity to work with the NatWest Archives to look in detail at the history of the bank. Which lead us to find that there was potentially a correction required in the original listing of the building.

18/02/2026

Celebrations are in order! At the end of last week we gained planning permission for this single storey rear extension in Twickenham.

Creating a new open plan kitchen and dining room for a growing family.

The material use reflects the existing house, a combination of brick render and timber, but applied in a more contemporary style.

18/12/2025

Good news this week! 🎉On Monday we received Planning and Listed Building Consent for alterations and repairs to this house in Colerne, including the conversion of an outbuilding into a small garage.

We were pleased to be praised by the conservation officer for the thoroughness of our application which allowed the application to be approved with no need for planning or listed building consent conditions Saving the client both time and money on additional condition approval applications.

This was a lovely house to work on with some characterful wobbly walls and lots of lovely original features and we look forward to seeing the works completed.

17/12/2025

We were featured on Bath and Wiltshire Parent this week!

06/11/2025

Thursday Throwback to this extension we designed in the centre of Bath. An extension to a traditionally designed new build property.

The zen garden the clients had commissioned creates an amazing foreground to a design that mixes contemporary elements and traditional design.

For more information see:

https://www.thennowwhen.co.uk/projects/zenbyextension

29/10/2025

One last post for our completed project in Bath, this time just a close up of the linear bricks.

Anyone who loves Architecture will probably have taken a picture of just some brickwork on a holiday at some point and me and James are no exception.

Being able to specify linear bricks has been a dream of ours and these linear bricks from UK Bricks ticked all the boxes. The colours of them compliment the Bath stone surroundings of the house and used in conjunction with bath stone toned lime render really helped to tie the new facade into it's surroundings.

For more information on the project take a look at our website:
https://www.thennowwhen.co.uk/projects/warmingup

27/10/2025

This project, completed back in January, included a side-return extension, external wall insulation and a loft conversion. The project also included the installation of solar panels, a battery and air-source heat pump ready pipework.

The client wanted to create a lighter and larger kitchen dining room by adding a side return extension. They also wanted to address the fact that the rooms on the north facing rear elevation of the house was so much colder than the rest of their victorian terrace.

We were pleased to gain planning permission for the external wall insulation within Bath conservation area, which was one measure we took to warm up the cold side of the house.

See more information on the project on our website here:
https://www.thennowwhen.co.uk/projects/warmingup

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